Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2022

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capitalists) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. In reality, the financing valley of death tests the commitment, determination, and problem solving ability of every entrepreneur.

Intellectual Property 261

Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator Bootstrapping 261

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 26, 2019

As an advisor to business owners, and an occasional angel investor, my job is to separate the actual challenges from the common misconceptions that distract many promising entrepreneurs while building the leadership team required for your solution, marketing, and finance success. Partner with experts who share the risk.

Bandwidth 246

Bandwidth Software Review Salary Angel Investor 246

YoungUpstarts

JANUARY 11, 2021

To avoid these common pitfalls — and set up your finances to support your business as it grows — follow these four accounting tips for startups and small businesses. To streamline your processes, select accounting software tools that fit your business’s needs and budget , and start using them as early as possible.

Small Business 208

Small Business Startup Cofounder Vertical 208

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 14, 2014

The problem is that professional investors (Angels and Venture Capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. In reality, the financing valley of death tests the commitment, determination, and problem solving ability of every entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur 283

Entrepreneur Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 283

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 9, 2019

I still have to tell some entrepreneurs that even with the best idea, they have to move to Silicon Valley to find the investors they need, or they need to move to the U.S. Today, Silicon Valley is the consumer and enterprise software capital of the world. Finance has homes in New York, Hong Kong, and London.

Las Vegas 243

Las Vegas Silicon Valley Arizona Montana 243

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2016

There is a common belief in the angel and venture capital community that you put your money on the best team, rather than the best idea. Thus the top priority of every entrepreneur who wants funding should be to build and highlight their “dream team” of co-founders, executives and advisers, to attract the biggest and best investors.

Sweat Equity 152

Sweat Equity Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Software Review 152

Up and Running

AUGUST 30, 2021

The outdoor industry wasn’t helping itself, so he did what all entrepreneurs do: start a business to solve the problem. It’s difficult to be an entrepreneur — whether you’re a recent college graduate or have managed multiple companies. It’s why the average age of an entrepreneur is 42 years old. Solve the rest later.

Entrepreneur 132

Entrepreneur Lean Colorado Engineer 132

The Startup Magazine

MARCH 10, 2018

Thus, as with many other expensive aspects of starting a business, many entrepreneurs like you are turning to software. More realistically, artificial intelligence and computer software will assist lawyers, not replace them entirely. Thus, it seems that software doesn’t pose much of a threat to the law industry.

Software Review 70

Software Review Technical Review Artificial Inteligence Software 70

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2019

As a long-time business advisor and angel investor, I’m a believer that “two heads are better than one” in building a new business. Very few entrepreneurs have the range of skills and experience to be the solution creator as well as business creator, or operational as well as sales leader.

Cofounder 221

Cofounder Software Review CTO Hire Founder 221

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2019

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capitalists) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. In reality, the financing valley of death tests the commitment, determination, and problem solving ability of every entrepreneur.

Intellectual Property 219

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 219

Feld Thoughts

MAY 28, 2015

Congrats to my friends at Rally Software on the announcement that they’ve signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by CA Technologies for $480 million. For example, from a post in 2008 about Rally’s $16.85m financing , I riffed on the origins of the company. Rally started out life as F4 Technologies.

Software 70

Software Technology Agile SCRUM 70

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 1, 2020

I have often been asked about Startup Funding by entrepreneurs. Here is Startup Funding, a Comprehensive Guide for Entrepreneurs. Any custom manufactured IoT device would require software development as well as hardware customization. Equity investors. The third source of funding is from equity investors.

Startup 150

Startup Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Seed Stage 150

YoungUpstarts

JULY 21, 2019

Small businesses and young entrepreneurs are in a difficult position in the market. Capital can be hard to come by when you’re a starting young entrepreneur. You can find free software on the internet that does almost the same thing as your subscription-based software. Around half of all startups fail by their fifth year.

Software Review 191

Software Review Entrepreneur Cost Cofounder 191

The Startup Magazine

MARCH 22, 2019

Most entrepreneurs are aware that securing investments in their companies could be essential to the short-term growth and long-term success of their venture. It can often be confusing to know which investment type might work best for an entrepreneur and business. The question of venture capitalist versus angel investor often arises.

Angel Investor 121

Angel Investor Venture Capital Accredited Investor Equity 121

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2015

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. In reality, the financing valley of death tests the commitment, determination, and problem solving ability of every entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur 120

Entrepreneur Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 120

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2017

I still have to tell some entrepreneurs that even with the best idea, they have to move to Silicon Valley to find the investors they need, or they need to move to the U.S. Also, investors from the super-hubs (Silicon Valley, New York, or Boston), won’t assume anyone outside their domain has the savvy and resources to make it happen.

Silicon Valley 149

Silicon Valley Las Vegas Arizona Montana 149

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2013

I still have to tell some entrepreneurs that even with the best idea, they have to move to Silicon Valley to find the investors they need, or they need to move to the U.S. Also, investors from the super-hubs (Silicon Valley, New York, or Boston), won’t assume anyone outside their domain has the savvy and resources to make it happen.

Silicon Valley 256

Silicon Valley Las Vegas Phoenix Montana 256

Up and Running

OCTOBER 28, 2022

Securing investment dollars is often the number one priority for entrepreneurs when starting a business. Many will seek outside support—angel investors, personal investors, venture capitalists, and peer-to-peer lenders generally top the list. Few people have deep enough pockets to fund a business beyond launch.

Cost 138

Cost Startup Early Stage Vesting 138

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2017

As a long-time business advisor and angel investor, I’m a believer that “two heads are better than one” in building a new business. Very few entrepreneurs have the range of skills and experience to be the solution creator as well as business creator, or operational as well as sales leader.

Partner 140

Partner Software Review CTO Hire Cofounder 140

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2017

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capitalists) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. In reality, the financing valley of death tests the commitment, determination, and problem solving ability of every entrepreneur.

Product Development 177

Product Development Cost Developer Product 177

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

Not to mention the mental and emotional impact of being an entrepreneur. While you may be enamored with becoming an entrepreneur and bootstrapping your business, don’t quit your day job. According to a report from the Harvard Business Review , entrepreneurs who plan are 16% more likely to achieve viability. Track finances early.

Forecast 154

Forecast Software Review Bootstrapping Finance 154

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

The problem is that professional investors (Angels and Venture Capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. In reality, the financing valley of death tests the commitment, determination, and problem solving ability of every entrepreneur.

Intellectual Property 309

Intellectual Property Technical Review Venture Capital Startup 309

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2010

Mike Wolf is a mentor of mine, and a role model for many technology entrepreneurs and investors in the Phoenix, Arizona, area. He is a 26-year software veteran who has survived both startups and big companies. More recently, he has invested in numerous local startups, while mentoring and advising hundreds of young entrepreneurs.

Angel Investor 211

Angel Investor Arizona Entrepreneur Phoenix 211

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2018

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than early projections and product development. Software apps that once required a 10-person team can now be done with the Lean Development methodology by two people in a couple of months.

Intellectual Property 134

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 134

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2013

The new hot topic for entrepreneurs the last couple of years is crowd funding, which is anticipated to at least supplement, if not replace, the slow and mysterious process of current Angel and venture capital investors. It has had some notable successes for entrepreneurs (over $1M in funding), as well as non-starters.

Intellectual Property 247

Intellectual Property SEC Venture Capital Equity 247

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2012

Don’t be embarrassed, since even professional investors are often confused these days by the new terms, as well as old terms used with new meanings. The hard part for entrepreneurs is figuring out what it takes to play. For angel investors, early-stage means there is a good business plan and maybe a prototype, but no customer revenue.

Early Stage 253

Early Stage Finance Seed Stage Entrepreneur 253

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2015

I still have to tell some entrepreneurs that even with the best idea, they have to move to Silicon Valley to find the investors they need, or they need to move to the U.S. Also, investors from the super-hubs (Silicon Valley, New York, or Boston), won’t assume anyone outside their domain has the savvy and resources to make it happen.

Las Vegas 120

Las Vegas Silicon Valley Phoenix Montana 120

ReadWriteStart

MAY 22, 2012

When it comes to financing a brand-new startup, most founders find themselves stuck between the proverbial rock and hard place. While some lucky startups attract angel investors or have access to money from friends and family, the vast majority are on their own, at least at first. Beware Revolving Credit Charges.

Technical Review 118

Technical Review Software Review Angel Investor Startup 118

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2012

The new hot topic for entrepreneurs these days is crowd funding, which is anticipated to at least supplement, if not replace, the slow and mysterious process of current Angel and venture capital investors. It has had some notable successes for entrepreneurs (over $1M in funding), as well as non-starters.

Intellectual Property 242

Intellectual Property Venture Capital Angel Investor Equity 242

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2011

There was a lot of consumer internet activity again…resurgence of things, but it was still mysterious, venture capital was still kind of closed, 1st time entrepreneurs had a lot of questions that were unanswered, and there was still some sort of hand waiving around all the financing stuff and so we took it on….”.

Technical Review 288

Technical Review Venture Capital Silicon Valley Software Review 288

Up and Running

DECEMBER 18, 2013

Kiva is a non-profit organization that partners with microfinance institutions (Kiva’s “field partners”) in third-world countries to offer small loans to budding entrepreneurs. It is free to submit your business for consideration, and a wide range of businesses—everything from media to real estate to consumer goods to software—are desired.

Kenya 119

Kenya Angel Investor Technical Review Software Review 119

Gust

JUNE 19, 2012

Thoughts on startups by investors that fund them & entrepreneurs that run them. Tim Berry , Founder, Palo Alto Software. Don’t believe the urban myth that you can sketch your idea on a napkin, and professional investors will throw money at you. Tim Berry , Founder, Palo Alto Software. Subscribe by email.

Startup 180

Startup Forecast Angel Investor Software 180

Gust

FEBRUARY 22, 2014

When people would ask a similar question back then about the difficulty of software development, my usual response was “anyone can write a TAP program over a weekend that will work with 80% of the paging systems in the world…but getting it to work on the other 20% will take you a year.” despite having lots of competitors.

Belarus 107

Belarus Kazakhstan Portugal Accredited Investor 107

Gust

JULY 8, 2012

Don’t be embarrassed, since even professional investors are often confused these days by the new terms, as well as old terms used with new meanings. The hard part for entrepreneurs is figuring out what it takes to play. For angel investors, early-stage means there is a good business plan and maybe a prototype, but no customer revenue.

Early Stage 177

Early Stage Finance Seed Stage Entrepreneur 177

Growthink Blog

APRIL 15, 2014

While this might depict an "angel," it certainly is a far cry from the definition of an "angel investor." Below I define exactly what an "angel investor" is along with answers to the other most common angel investor questions. What is An Angel Investor? The answer to this is "yes."

Angel Investor 96

Angel Investor New Hampshire Angel Financing Stock 96

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 16, 2010

This is the fourth article in a series on what it takes to be a great angel investor (and why this should matter to entrepreneurs). Markets like these are very kind to angel investors because you get taken out early and see a nice pop on your investment. Part 1 – Access to Great Deal Flow – is here.

Cap Table 283

Cap Table Angel Investor Liquidation Preference Deal Flow 283

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 6, 2012

Follow along as we explore 10 of the most exciting college business incubators around today, and be sure to share your own favorites in the comments: Entrepreneurs Hall @ The RIT Global Village. At Rochester Institute of Technology’s Entrepreneurs Hall, innovation is a way of life. Harvard Innovation Lab. Innovation Depot.

Incubator 202

Incubator New York City Boston Intellectual Property 202